


Long Kiss Goodbye

by Frostwells



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: AU, F/M, Fake Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Unrequited Love-ish
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-08-14
Packaged: 2018-08-08 19:41:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,772
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7770478
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Frostwells/pseuds/Frostwells
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: Now that Caitlin's mom is in the picture, do a cliché where Caitlin takes him to meet mom at Jitters. Pretend relationships man the best.</p>
<p>Carla Tannhauser returns to Central City to reconnect with her daughter after being apart for so long. Too bad she doesn't feel the same.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Long Kiss Goodbye

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is set in Season 3-ish. It's announced that Caitlin Snow's mother returns in Season 3! In Season 2, both Killer Frost and Caitlin had "frigid bitches" as a mother, and I was writing her as so. Also, in Season 1, the original Harrison Wells was portrayed as a sweet, loving man and I also wrote him like that. Keep this in mind when you're reading this.  
> Anyways, enjoy!
> 
> DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN THE FLASH.  
> CLAIMER: I DO OWN ALL MY GRAMMATICAL MISTAKES.

Prompt: Now that Caitlin's mom is in the picture, do a cliché where Caitlin takes him to meet mom at Jitters. Pretend relationships man the best.

 

“Caitlin, you aren’t getting any younger, you know? When are you going to quit your job and settle down?” An older woman asked fluently in French, casually sipping HER tea from a porcelain cup.

Her daughter snapped her head up in shocked before narrowing her eyes. “I already told you. I have no plans on getting married soon.” Caitlin replied curtly, using English rather than her native language. With that, she resumed rummaging through her notes for what the blonde could assume is for a presentation of sorts.

Carla Tannhauser sighed in dismay at Caitlin’s stubbornness. The blonde briefly returned to Central City for a seminar being hosted by her child’s company, Mercury Labs. While being a well-renowned bioengineerist made the older woman extremely proud, she worried for her daughter’s personal life.

Being one of Mercury Labs best scientists of her field made her seem untouchable for men of lower caliber. Not that she wanted Caitlin to marry a man less than worthy of her. It was just that she set the standard very high, it seemed almost impossible to date anyone that would please her daughter.

Caitlin’s mother sat across from her, caressing the cup in deep thought. Her blue eyes shifted towards her daughter, whose delicate brows were furrowed in deep concentration.

“How about if I set you up with someone suitable?” Carla offered, crossing her legs.

Caitlin stopped shuffling through her documents but refused to look up at the woman before her.

“And if I refuse?”

The older blonde pursed her lips. “I’m not going to force you to do anything you are not comfortable with, Caitlin. I know you. But please, do this for me; your mother.”

Still refusing to meet her mother’s gaze, Caitlin shook her head and scoffed. “You haven’t been my mother in years,” Caitlin spat, scorn evident in her voice, “Not since you walked out with Charlie in tow and left me with your sorry excuse of a husband.”

Carla winced at her daughter’s cold tone. She always knew that one day, her decisions would come back to haunt her. She should be content that Caitlin her let re-enter her life, even though it wasn’t what Carla desired. She let out a strained sigh, her back harshly landing on the back of the leather seat with a loud _ploof._

“I always thought of you, Caity. You were always on my mind.” Carla confessed, hoping this little bit of information would ease Caitlin’s hatred for her. Of course, it didn’t.

The brunette laughed without humour, her honeyed eyes glistening with contempt. “The zero letters, phonecalls and visits were evident of that.”

“I couldn’t contact you!” Carla defended, sitting up straight in her chair now.

Caitlin finally looked up to meet her mother’s blue eyes. “Couldn’t or wouldn’t?”

Hazel orbs challenged cerulean ones before Carla shifted hers in guilt. It’s not that she didn’t want to be in Caitlin’s life when she was younger; it was just balancing life with Cadmus Labs and her family was too demanding. And her marriage wasn’t the strongest either. Her then husband demanded a divorce and custody of their two children.

Their son and daughter.

Charlie and Caitlin.

The stress was just too much for Carla to handle. Eventually, after many tears and sworn murder, they came to a mutual agreement and decided to keep one child each. Caitlin was already old enough to form an attachment to where she lived. Sothey decided that Caitlin would stay with him while Charlie would adapt to a new life with his mother.

Caitlin never forgave her after that.

Carla and Charlie moved out of Central City and into the suburbs of Metropolis. Caitlin tried hard to contact her mother countless times but to no avail. She was told by her father that she gotten remarried the moment she moved out. So she was seeing someone while she was still married to her him.

Years went by and the young girl saw articles of her mother winning awards from her works on genetic cloning. She became quite a successful Geneticist. Meanwhile, her father fell into a state of depression and eventually lost his life to alcohol consumption. He left his only daughter all alone.

Caitlin never forgave him after that.

She changed her name from Caitlin Tannhauser to Caitlin Snow. She didn’t want to be associated to a woman whom abandoned her. She’d sworn that she would be an even better scientist than her mother.

And she had done just that.

At the tender age of eighteen, Caitlin Snow had received her Ph.D. in Bioengineering, being the youngest student to graduate. She immediately got a position at Mercury Labs, a competitor with Cadmus Labs in biology. For eight years, the young brunette worked hard, earning a name for herself. The head researcher, Tina McGee, introduced Caitlin to the head of Cadmus Labs, who happened to be none other than her mother.

The older blonde stared at the brunette in shock, not believing that the young woman in front of her was her daughter. The blonde looked the same as in Caitlin’s memories, except with a few lines engraved in her face here and there. What even more shocked Carla was the fact that Caitlin refuses to address her as her mother but as _Dr. Tannhauser_ or even as _Carla_ in private.

Carla now sat in Caitlin’s modest apartment, remorse sketched on her features.

“Caitlin…I know I’ve hurt you. I don’t expect you to ever forgive me,” she said sadly before her face transforming into perfect professionalism. “However, you are still my daughter. If you don’t want to do this blind date for the sake of me, then do it for business.”

Once seeing her daughter perk up at the mention of business, she continued. “If I set you up with someone from my company, then we could form a business alliance with Cadmus and Mercury Labs, effectively expanding our research in biology.”

Caitlin pondered this for a moment before frowning. “I don’t think that’s how it works. I work under Dr. McGee. I have no power in whether I get to reveal private works to a competitor. She does.”

Damn. She should’ve known better than to fool Caitlin that way.

“Besides, Carla. I’m already seeing someone.” The younger woman said nonchalantly.

Carla nearly spat out her tea.

“What? Who?” The blonde demanded.

Caitlin narrowed her honeyed eyes. “That’s none of your concern.”

“It is most definitely my concern, young lady!”

“I think you’re over stepping your boundaries, _Dr. Tannhauser_.” Caitlin spat. With that, Carla shrank back into her seat, remembering that Caitlin no longer sees her as a mother, but as a colleague.

Time awkwardly flew with the two women exchanging notes on cloning. After a while, Carla broke the tension.

“Is it such a crime that I want to reconnect with my daughter?” she asked softly.

Caitlin sighed exaggeratedly, throwing her head back in annoyance. Once she looked up at Carla, Caitlin felt a slight twinge of regret.

Only a slight twinge.

She rubbed her temples, already regretting what she’s about to say.

“You can meet him,” Caitlin started slowly, “On a few conditions.”

Carla nodded, willing to cooperate. She was content that her daughter is willing to let her meet this person she’s seeing.

“One,” Caitlin began, lifting her pointer finger, “you will not be associated as my mother. I will not introduce you as my mom nor will you do the same. You are simply Dr. Carla Tannhauser, Geneticist of Cadmus Labs.” Carla winced at this demand but reluctantly agreed it.

“Two,” Caitlin said, this time, lifting her middle finger. “We will not be discussing anything personal related, meaning anything in regards to me. You two will be meeting on strictly work terms. ”

Once she saw Carla slowly nodded, she set her final condition. “Our relationship is absolutely private. It’s just strictly between me and him. You will not tell anyone about us. Telling people will result in me cutting you out of my life. It doesn’t matter if I have to tell Dr. McGee to terminate this partnership. Break any of these conditions and you’re out. Am I making myself clear, Carla?”

The blue eyed woman wanted to snap at her, saying that she has no right to be making demands of her, simply because she is her mother. But she knows she lost the right to call herself Caitlin’s mom the moment she stepped foot out that door all those years ago. Besides, these are all reasonable conditions. All though, the last condition made Carla curious who her daughter is seeing to make it so…dramatic. Ah, well. She could wait.

“Alright, Caitlin. I agree.”

The young brunette just curtly nodded and resumed flipping through the files.

Topic closed.

X

“I’m so fucked,” Caitlin groaned, banging her head on the small coffee table.

She knew allowing her mother to come over was a big mistake with her perfect, wavy, blonde hair and impossible blue eyes.  She shouldn’t have made her acquaintance after all these years. Now, she has to introduce a non-existent boyfriend to a mother she doesn’t even like let alone care about.

“You okay, Dr. Snow?” A deep, baritone asked from a distance. The brunette heard him draw close to her before hearing a slight clatter on the glass table, indicating a cup was placed on it. She looked up, her chocolate hair cascading over her face in disarray.

“Nope.” She answered, then banging her head again on the glass once more. She heard a chuckle emanating from behind her on the sofa.

“Why don’t you tell me about it before you break the glass and get a possible concussion?”

She lifted her head and turned around to look at Harrison Wells, who was looking down at her in amusement.

Harrison and Caitlin were good friends and fellow colleagues through Dr. McGee.  They first met at a seminar where they somehow ended up in a heated debate. Caitlin was adamant that she was correct in whether the dark matter is possible to alter the genetics of a human being. Dr. Wells on the other hand, strongly disagreed with the young woman and said it is physically impossible.

Once Caitlin realized that she just full out argued with the presenter in a room full of scholars, doctors and peers, she immediately felt ashamed. She didn’t know what made her react in such a negative way. She concluded that it was his smug yet brusque personality that pissed her off.

Harrison was surprised yet delighted that someone challenged him on his works. He admitted that he was getting rather bored presenting his idea on the Particle Accelerator countless times without being questioned. It seemed like they just accepted it. Then came along this young woman who constantly asked him questions on his projects and he was thrilled. She was a breath of fresh air, that girl. So bright, and highly intelligent as well. She reminded Harrison in his youth when he was starting out, always questioning everything.

After his seminar, she came to visit him and apologized profusely for her insubordination and lack of respect. She was thrown off when he immediately forgave her and confessed that he was entertained throughout their little but heated debate. He told her that he was tired of scholars asking the same type of questions while she attacked him from every angle, giving everything a new perspective.

They sat down for lunch at the local café, discussing their work and hypothesis, bonding through their love of the sciences. They challenged each other intellectually while also learning new things. For Harrison, Caitlin noticed that his navy blue eyes turn a bright azure when he’s talking about a topic he’s passionate about. He would smile and use his hands animated, as if he was drawing a picture, trying to portray what he was thinking. It was endearing. It was little things that they noticed.

Caitlin would tilt her head as if she was confused or was questioning something she was unsure about. Or how she would bite her lip if she was uncertain about a statement she would make.

It was already late into the night, where the cars were scarce on the road, and the streetlamps were brightly illuminating in the distance when they left the café. They realized they had gotten along extremely well and daresay they had quite the chemistry. They exchanged cell numbers and had been in contact ever since.

Often times, Dr. McGee would call in Harrison to Mercury Labs for assistance with one of the projects. Caitlin was made his assistant for awhile and it didn’t slip pass by her when she noticed how well the pair worked together. There was complete respect and utter trust in each other, something that was rare nowadays, especially since those two personalities are a bit…contrasting.

Nonetheless, Dr. McGee would always assign the young bioengineerist to Harrison, should he ever need assistance.

One day, Harrison called on Dr. McGee for a favour in aid to help build his own lab. S.T.A.R. Labs, he called it.

“Short for _Scientific and Technological Advance Research_ Labs,” Harrison would explain, somewhat between a mix of embarrassment and proudness.

He explained to Caitlin that his wife came up with the name because he was the only star she saw in her life. The brunette could see the love and fondness etched on his face when he spoke about her. She was a little envious, wishing that she could find a man that loved her as much Harrison loved his wife, Tess.

Dr. McGee, of course, assigned Caitlin to assist Harrison should he need anything. They work at odd hours, inspiration coming to them at random instances. They decided it’s best that he live with her at her apartment for the sake of convenience. His wife, pregnant with their child, remained to stay at Maryland while he lived in Central City to work on their dream project.

Now, he sat comfortably on her sofa, waiting for Caitlin to tell him what got her so riled up, other than him giving her a hard time.

“My mother.” She stated. Harrison raised his eyebrows in surprise but said nothing more, waiting for an elaboration.

He blinked behind his white frames, and Caitlin moaned when she noticed that he wanted her to tell him everything.

“My mother,” the young woman started again, “was here today.”

“For?”

“Work.”

“Work.” Harrison repeated in disbelief.

“Work.” Caitlin affirmed.

“You’re being awfully vague today, Caitlin.” Harrison pointed out. “Why don’t you get off the floor and sit beside me? Drink the coffee I made for you while you’re at it.” He patted the empty space beside him for emphasis.

She let out grunt of frustration as she struggled to stand up before flopping on the vacant space beside him, her coffee in her hands. She huffed, as if it caused her a lot of trouble to stand up and sit down again. She blew the hair away from her face before looking at the older man, who was staring at her in amusement.

Once she felt like she had his full on attention, she told him from the beginning on her relationship with Dr. Carla Tannhauser. How she was her mother and divorced her father, leaving her behind but taking her baby brother. Then, reuniting about two decades later and how they have to present a seminar on cloning together. Once she finished with the little details, Caitlin explained how she said she was seeing someone just so Carla could stop mothering her. She made sure to tell him about the conditions as well.

“But you’re not actually seeing someone, are you?” Harrison asked.

“Of course not!” Caitlin replied. “I don’t have the time or patience to date anyone right now.”

“Yet, you have the time for me,” Harrison teased, his azure eyes crinkling in humour.

That earned him a hard smack from Caitlin with a pillow. “I’m being _paid_ to assist you with your project by my boss.”

He defended himself, laughing, trying to block the consistent assault from the young woman.

“Okay, okay! I concede, Dr. Snow!” he surrendered. “Just stop hitting me.”

She stopped attacking him, but still held onto the couch pillow for support. She glared at him, but he could see she was having as much fun as he was.

“How about a proposition?” Harrison started, earning the attention of the young bioengineerist. “I’ll be your fake date for your mother and you’ll write up the lab reports for the next week. Including the notes.”

Caitlin looked thoughtful. On one hand, Harrison would be the perfect date. He was polite, kind and a fellow scientist that could relate to her and Carla. Plus, her mother would finally leave her alone. On the other hand, she had to write the lab reports for seven days and she hates writing. She bit her lower lip in concentration. Two positives outweigh one negative. Then, a sudden thought made her panic.

“What about your wife? Wouldn’t she be upset about this?” Caitlin asked.

Harrison just shrugged. “Tess meets with people of the opposite sex for work. This is no different.”

She looked at him in disbelief. “Yeah, but we’re going out on a _date_. I’m introducing you to my _mother_. You’re married.” Caitlin tried emphasizing the importance of date and mother. Harrison just smiled and patted her head affectionately.

“Cait, there’s nothing to worry about. This is a fake date for work. Besides, the third condition you made with Dr. Tannhauser ensured that we won’t be found out.” Harrison promised, continuing to pat Caitlin’s head reassuringly. She let out a breath she wasn’t even aware she was holding in and felt herself relax against the soothing touch of him rhythmically stroking the crown of her head.

She felt herself being lulled into sleep before he harshly patted her shoulders, causing her to jolt up in fear. He let out a throaty chuckle before pulling her up from the comfortable couch.

“Well, let’s go, honey. The lab reports aren’t going to write itself.”

His face was met with the harsh slap of a pillow.

X

“Dr. Harrison Wells! What a pleasure and pleasant surprise to finally meet you.” Carla said sweetly, extending her perfectly manicured hand. He took it and brought it up to his lips, exposing a row of pearly, white teeth.

“It’s my pleasure and absolute honour, Dr. Tannhauser,” Harrison said charmingly. “Please, have a seat.” With that, he courteously pulled out a bar stool for the older woman to sit along with one for Caitlin. Before she sat down, he offered her his hand for support and placed a tender kiss on her cheek. Caitlin blushed but remembered he’s playing a role and so should she.

“Thank you, Harrison,” she smiled sweetly. He swooped down and pressed a kiss against her temple before taking a seat beside her.

“You look lovely this evening, Dr. Tannhauser.” Harrison stated once he was seated, earning him a playful smile from the older woman. She was dressed in a black, toga dress and red heels. Her natural, wavy, blonde hair was swept to one side. Caitlin hated to admit it, but she looked sexy.

“You look absolutely stunning, Dr. Snow.” Carla complimented. “That dress; Louis Vuitton, I presume?”

Caitlin looked down at her outfit. It was a simple shoulder cut, dark blue dress with a slit on the side of her left leg with small embroideries around the waistline. Black sandals adorned her feet, giving her a sophisticated yet elegant look. Her hair was done up in a delicate bun, small waves of chestnut hair falling beside both her cheeks. Her light makeup emphasized her hazel eyes and made her lips seem fuller.

“No, Burberry,” Caitlin politely corrected. “And thank you, Dr.Tannhauser.”

 

If Harrison had to choose which lady looked the most visual appealing, it would have to be Caitlin, no doubt about it. And he wasn’t being biased about it either.

They politely conversed with each other of a few glasses of wine, waiting for their entrée to arrive.Jitters was dim and classy at this hour, something Caitlin wouldn’t usually dine at but something her mother would absolutely love. Soft sounds of a piano playing classical music echoed throughout the room.

 

Carla was annoying polite. Caitlin half expected her to break her conditions within five minutes of the meeting but no. She respected Caitlin enough to follow them. The older woman smiled at her, her dark, ruby red lips forming into a curve. She didn’t want to smile back but it was her fault that she got into this mess.

“So, Dr. Wells. I must say, I’m quite a fan of your work. Especially your thesis of String Phenomenology. It was absolutely revolutionary.” Carla gushed, her French accent becoming more evident than usual.

“Why, you flatter me, Dr. Tannhauser,” Harrison smiled, taking a small sip out of his wine. “I wasn’t aware you read my work.”

The blonde laughed, obviously well practiced. “Please, I think we’re beyond the point of formalities. Carla would suffice, please.”

Harrison grinned. “Only if you do the same, Carla.”

The two seemed to talk each other more than Caitlin did, making her feel slightly left out but at the same time, relieved because this would be the last instance that she would have to see Carla outside of work. She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard her name being mentioned in their conversation.

“If you don’t mind me being so forward, but may I ask how you and Dr. Snow first met?”

The older man turned to look at Caitlin with an affectionate smile that made Caitlin’s heart flutter. “I could never forget the first time I laid my eyes on her. In a room of full of mindless people, Caitlin was the only one that brought light in the otherwise, dull room.”

He leaned forward and tucked a curl strand behind her ear before softly caressing her soft yet warm cheeks. She wanted to look away from his captivating, azure eyes but she found herself unable to.

“You two met at a seminar then?” Carla’s voice broke them out of their trance. Caitlin ducked her head in embarrassment, reminding herself for the second time that night that they were pretending to be together. She suddenly felt Harrison’s large hands wrap around her own, slightly pulling it towards him.

“Yes,” he answered, looking at Caitlin with a gentle gaze before looking back at Carla. “She was the first person to ask me multiple questions in succession, as if she was trying to make me doubt myself about my work.”

Carla was about to admonish her daughter for her lack of respect until she caught Caitlin’s eye and left it be. She was about to break the third condition if she did so now, and she was doing so well too.

“I was skeptical about his confidence in which the dark matter in the Particle Accelerator cannot alter the genetics in a human being.” Caitlin spoke up, making a clear display of rubbing her thumb across his hand. “So, I said that if you factor in -”

Before she could continue, Harrison’s laughter cut her off. “There’s no need to ignite this debate once more, honey. We both agreed that we were both right.”

She let out a soft giggle, reminiscing about the time they met. It was quite an eventful day indeed. Carla watched the exchanged with interest. It was quite clear that those two had feelings for each other. But if being married for almost ten years taught her anything, she knows that something was holding them back from actually pursuing something worthwhile. A thought dawned on her.

“Harrison, forgive me if I’m being rude, but if I’m not mistaken, are you not married?” Carla asked skeptically.

The pair froze in their seats, afraid that they were caught. A million questions raced through Caitlin’s head and no doubt that Harrison was experiencing something similar.

_How did she know? Were we being that obvious?_

“I beg your pardon?” Harrison’s cool tone sent shivers up both the women’s spine. She looked up to see him looking slightly offended.

“I mean, I heard that you were married to a woman. Tess Morgan I think was her name. Yes, I’m quite sure now.” The older woman said, albeit rushed as if she was slightly panicking.

“So, are you suggesting that I’m cheating on a presumable wife with Caitlin here, who’s having dinner with someone we both hold with high regards?” Harrison questioned coldly. Carla felt the sweat at the nape of her neck forming, shame rising in the pit of her stomach. She didn’t mean for this dinner to go downhill.

“No, that’s not what I was implying at all! Please forgive me. I must have mistaken you with another man. Happens to me in my old age.” Caitlin’s mom explained, backpeddling as quick as she could do without leaving permanent damage.

“I’m sure that’s exactly what you were implying, Dr. Tannhauser.” Caitlin spat, using her name as a scorn. “Not only did you accuse of Harrison of being an unfaithful spouse but you also assumed that I would go that low to be involved with a married man.”

“Caitlin, I-”

“No, don’t! I am not nor will I ever get involved with someone that’s already married. I’m not you. Tell that to yourself and your husband.” Caitlin said harshly before rushing out, leaving patrons gazing upon them in interest.

Before she left the restaurant, Caitlin turned around and said sweetly, “Oh, I’m telling Dr. McGee first thing in the morning to terminate our partnership. I don’t want to see you ever again. You’re out.”

x

It’s been a week since the incident with Carla. Caitlin explained the whole situation to her boss on how the older woman was her mother and felt it was highly inappropriate to be working with her. Dr. McGee felt there was more than Caitlin was letting on, but she let it go. The young bioengineerist was a studious, honest, hardworking woman and she had no reason to disbelieve her.

It’s been awkward between Caitlin and Harrison. They were clumsy when they were at the lab, bumping into each other and dropping beakers. They completely avoid each other at home. They occasionally messed up reports and the head of Mercury Labs believed that Harrison was somehow involved with Carla’s termination. But their lives were private and she would respect that.

She only hoped things would get resolved soon because she doesn’t know how much more beakers she could spare.

Harrison didn’t require Caitlin’s assistance for today, allowing her to go home early. She cleaned up the place, organizing strays of papers strewn about. She showered and prepared dinner for the two of them for once instead of ordering takeout.

Harrison was met with an appetizing aroma wafting through the air when entered through the door. He quickly hung up his coat in the closet and saw Caitlin setting up the dinner table with homemade food.

“What’s the occasion?” Harrison asked, his stomach growling in anticipation.

Caitlin was startled by the sudden appearance of him, but quickly recovered.

“A thank you is way overdue.” Caitlin answered, resuming placing dishes and cutlery on the table.

He pulled out a seat and sat down enjoying the multiple aromas from the variety of foods. Mash potatoes with turkey gravy, salted corn on the cobs, rib eye steak; he was getting spoiled tonight and he was a little bit apprehensive.

“Thank you for what?”

“For being my date. My fake date.” Caitlin quickly corrected. “I never said thank you for putting up with my mother and I.”

He looked confused. “I never expected one. We agreed that I would be your fake boyfriend in exchange for you doing a week’s worth of lab reports.”

“I know. But I felt like my behavior I displayed was an embarrassment to both you and my mother. While I will not apologize to her, I felt like an apology and a thank you was in order. Please just accept it, Dr. Wells.” Caitlin rambled.

Harrison chuckled and patted her shoulder.  “Well, thank you, Caitlin. I appreciate it.”

She smiled at him and finally, the awkward tension between them was broken.  Dinner was light and fun, filled with playful bantering. They talked about fellow workers they dislike, their work, how was their day. For a minute, it almost felt like they were married.

_Is this what married people do?_ Caitlin thought.

“You should’ve become an actor instead of a scientist. You definitely would’ve gone far.” Caitlin pointed out teasingly while munching on a piece of steak.

“What makes you think that?” he asked, taking a bite out of his corn.

“It was almost as if you truly were in love with me.”

Harrison didn’t say anything and continued eating his meal in silence. Caitlin wondered about the change in attitude in the older man. 

“Hey, if it was something I said, I-”

“I was your fake boyfriend.” Harrison said suddenly, cutting off the younger woman.

“Huh?” Caitlin furrowed her brows, her head tilting in confusion.

He finished chewing before looking up at her, his impossible blue eyes smoldering upon her.

“I was your fake boyfriend. That doesn’t mean I faked my feelings.”

With that said, he adverted his eyes once more and resumed eating his meal. Caitlin remained in her seat, frozen, staring at the older man dumbfounded.  _Did he confess that he liked me?_ Her head spun at this revelation.

“But you have wife…” Caitlin pointed out weakly.

“I know.”

“A wife…” Caitlin repeated again, unable to form any other coherent thoughts.

“And you made it clear that you will never go for a married man. I know, Caitlin.” Harrison barked, sounding harsher than he intended to. A look of hurt passed on her face, and he felt immediate regret. He took off his opaque glasses and placed them on the table before rubbing his face, ruffling his hair.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to snap.” He apologized.

“It’s okay. It’s not your fault.”

“It’s just … I meant what I said to your mother. I liked you the moment you made yourself known to me at that seminar. Cliché as it may be, you were a breath of fresh air. You fascinated me with your fiery spirit and high intellect, unlike many people who refer themselves as scholars.” Harrison took a moment to take a swig out of his water before resuming. “The more I got to know you, the more you surprised me. You never ceased to amaze me, Caitlin.”

Harrison remained vulnerable as Caitlin stared at him blankly, unable to register the fact that Dr. Harrison Wells literally confessed for the second time tonight that he truly does have feelings for her. Caitlin felt giddy with excitement but the logical part of her shut down any positive reactions to his confession.

After all, he was a happily married man. It would never work out between them.

The main reason why he’s here, right now, in their dining room, living together, was for his wife. This project they were constructing together was a dream that he and Tess longed to achieve. Caitlin had no place in their happy marriage nor did she have any desire to destroy that happiness.

She did promise herself that she would be a better person than her mother.

She found Harrison wiping away at her cheeks, realizing she was crying. She tried to control herself, but the tears kept on coming and she could not stop. A sob wracked from her throat and Harrison immediately was by her side. He enveloped her into his arms, soothing her while whispering sweet nothings into her ear.

The man she found herself loving back happened to married. For the first time, she found happiness, but she couldn’t have it. Destiny was being cruel on her. Has she not suffered enough?

“I do want to be with you, Harrison,” Caitlin sobbed, burrowing her face into his chest. “But I can’t. And I won’t let you destroy your marriage.”

“I know, Caitlin. I know.” Harrison whispered, stroking her back.

After awhile, she eventually stopped crying, occasionally sniffing here and there. Harrison leaned back to see her blotched face. She tried to cover herself in embarrassment but he won’t have it.

“You’re still beautiful even with all the snot and tears.” She hit him in the chest, causing him to laugh.

They sat on the floor for a little while longer, basking in each other’s warmth and comfort.

“Do you think if I was born earlier, we would be together?” Caitlin asked.

He pondered her question for a moment before answering, “No, I don’t think we would have. I’m sure Tess is the one for me in this universe.”

“Oh,” Caitlin said dejectedly.

“However,” Harrison began, making Caitlin look up at him. “I’m sure in another timeline, in another universe, I’m with you.”

She scrunched up her nose, puzzled. “How can you be so sure?”

Harrison pulled Caitlin closer to him. She basked in the security his arms provided her and a scent that is uniquely Harrison that comforted her. “In this world, fate dealt me with Tess but also you. I’m sure that somewhere out there, fate dealt me just you. We’re probably chasing after each other constantly.”

“What? Like I’m always getting kidnapped and you’re always rescuing me kind of chasing? Or vice versa?” Caitlin asked jokingly.

“If you put it that way, it is possible,” the older man chuckled, nuzzling her face. “Or how I always leave you but you always find a way to make me come back.” He said seriously before leaning down and kissing the corner of her lips.

He wouldn’t kiss her. He can’t kiss her. That would be sealing the deal on actually cheating on his wife.  Luckily, Caitlin understood and just nuzzled her face into his neck.

“It’s a comforting thought,” Caitlin murmured, threading her fingers with Harrison’s. “I can’t have you here, but somewhere, you’re mine. I’m happy. We’re happy.”

“In a different universe, we’re always together, no matter what happens.”

She found herself smiling sadly, wishing she lived in that universe. But in this life, she and Harrison would have to be content with being just friends.

That’s all they’ll ever be.

 

 


End file.
